Cotton Australia takes industry priorities to Canberra

Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay visited Canberra last week for a series of meetings with key staff from the Agriculture Minister’s office, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Cotton Australia appoints Water Policy Officer

Cotton Australia has appointed Marti Beeston as Water Policy Officer. Based in Goondiwindi, Marti brings experience in water management, stakeholder and industry engagement across the Murray-Darling Basin, including roles with the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and One Basin CRC.

Ord Valley cotton picking underway with promising early results

Cotton picking is underway across the Ord Valley, with growers reporting encouraging early results as this season’s crop begins to come off.

St George workshop builds water policy knowledge

St George irrigators attended a water workshop this week, where the focus was on understanding the layers of rules and regulations that govern access to irrigation water on farm. Facilitated by Cotton Australia, the workshop heard presentations from National Irrigators Council  Queensland Department of Water, Mallawa Irrigation along with a presentation from Sunwater.

Mungindi CGA Golf Day gives back to 22 local community organisations

The Mungindi Cotton Growers’ Association has once again generously given back to the local community, donating $1,200 each to 22 organisations at its annual Charity Golf Day. More than 80 golfers teed off for the nine-hole ambrose event, held after the CGA’s Annual General Meeting, where Mick Freeman was elected president. 

Darling Downs CGA awards and golf day

The Darling Downs Cotton Growers and Irrigators recently held their first Charity Golf Day in many years, raising more than $7,000 for charity. The event was followed by the annual crop awards, recognising growers across dryland yield, irrigated yield, and Outstanding Yield and Water Use Efficiency categories.

Gabrielle Coupland graduates from Australian Rural Leadership Program

Southern NSW farmer and regional advocate Gabrielle Coupland has graduated from the Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP), following an intensive leadership journey supported by a scholarship from Cotton Australia, CRDC and Cotton Seed Distributors.

Contractor inductions: they might know their job, but they don’t know your farm

Contractors may know their job, but they don’t necessarily know your farm. A good contractor induction goes beyond a signed form, helping everyone understand site-specific risks, safety and behavioural expectations, and how the work may affect others on the property. Find out what to consider when engaging contractors, keeping communication open and documenting your safety processes.

Education wrap-up: connecting students with cotton during careers and field days

Cotton Australia has been involved in three events this month, helping to educate students about where cotton comes from, how it is grown and the breadth of careers connected to the industry. Staff delivered cotton workshops at AgVision Yanco 2026 and the University of Sydney's Narrabri Schools Field Day, and attended Australian National University's Cultivate Your Career Day.

Grace Griffiths named Queensland’s NextGen Leader

Goondiwindi cotton grower and agronomist Grace Griffiths has been named Queensland’s Nutrien NextGen Leader at the inaugural Australian Agriculture Awards state awards dinner in Brisbane. Grace was recognised for her work as a grower, agronomist and industry advocate.

Brookstead cotton grower Lauren Roellgen was also a NextGen Leader finalist, while Troy Smith, Real Skills Ag Training was a finalist in the Toyota Wellbeing and Safety in Agriculture category.